Hacking Perspectives about A9LH...

[pustal]

(I know there is a recent thread about questions about A9LH but it didn't seem to fit in the middle of the conversation, as this is more about the future perspectives of A9LH than current state).

I've been reading about it and seems common consense that the advanages are mainly being early, fast, working every boot and allowing bricking recoveries without hardmod.

On the other hand, as of now, it is restricted to Cakes and AuReiNAND and has a significative bricking chance on the process.

For me I'm trying to figure out if the alledged risk is worth being an early adopter.

I'd like to ask first a few questions:

- Is there a reasonable possibility and likelihood of in a near future be possible to extract OTP without downgrade?

- Aside what I wrote, could this full access to the machine provide more general usability than the current state of 9.2 CFWs?

 

[RealityNinja]

- Is there a reasonable possibility and likelihood of in a near future be possible to extract OTP without downgrade?

No!

 

[regnad]

(I know there is a recent thread about questions about A9LH but it didn't seem to fit in the middle of the conversation, as this is more about the future perspectives of A9LH than current state).

I've been reading about it and seems common consense that the advanages are mainly being early, fast, working every boot and allowing bricking recoveries without hardmod.

On the other hand, as of now, it is restricted to Cakes and AuReiNAND and has a significative bricking chance on the process.

For me I'm trying to figure out if the alledged risk is worth being an early adopter.

I'd like to ask first a few questions:

- Is there a reasonable possibility and likelihood of in a near future be possible to extract OTP without downgrade?

- Aside what I wrote, could this full access to the machine provide more general usability than the current state of 9.2 CFWs?

Yeah,

No!

It's the second question that's more interesting.

I have both: an O3DS with A9LH/Cakes and a N3DSXL with Menuhax/EmuNAND/Cakes

I like the A9LH, and I went through the lengthy process without a single problem. But for me, so far, there isn't a huge difference. I use the old Menuhax payload, and have probably 95+% boot rate. Loading time is slower, but not that much slower.

I have to imagine one day there will be real advantages to A9LH. But presently it seems, to me at least, to be rather minor.

That said, I'm probably going to bite the bullet on my N3DSXL, but merely for master race bragging rights. ;p

 

[peteruk]

It works with official ReiNand also

 

[Ryft]

It's not a huge chance to brick. I would say 95% of bricks is user error. I have done the A9LH install on an OLD3DS, NEW3DS, and I talked my brother through installing it on his over Skype and he has like no 3DS hacking experience. If you read and follow the guide step by step it is almost impossible to brick unless you accidently download the wrong files or something.

 

[pustal]

No!

Why though? Is the only hypothetical way of dumping it patched permanently? Wouldn't it be possible to trick it through emuNAND?

Yeah,


It's the second question that's more interesting.

I have both: an O3DS with A9LH/Cakes and a N3DSXL with Menuhax/EmuNAND/Cakes

I like the A9LH, and I went through the lengthy process without a single problem. But for me, so far, there isn't a huge difference. I use the old Menuhax payload, and have probably 95+% boot rate. Loading time is slower, but not that much slower.

I have to imagine one day there will be real advantages to A9LH. But presently it seems, to me at least, to be rather minor.

That said, I'm probably going to bite the bullet on my N3DSXL, but merely for master race bragging rights. ;p

Yeah. As of now, among CFW I still prefer rxTools, if not for anything else, because of the region free.

It annoys me a bit having to wait a few seconds to boot emuNAND and sometimes having to try twice but I can live with it. That and I don't feel going to the hassle of doing all the process and then having to set up all my stuff again.

 

[funnystory]

(I know there is a recent thread about questions about A9LH but it didn't seem to fit in the middle of the conversation, as this is more about the future perspectives of A9LH than current state).

I've been reading about it and seems common consense that the advanages are mainly being early, fast, working every boot and allowing bricking recoveries without hardmod.

On the other hand, as of now, it is restricted to Cakes and AuReiNAND and has a significative bricking chance on the process.

For me I'm trying to figure out if the alledged risk is worth being an early adopter.

I'd like to ask first a few questions:

- Is there a reasonable possibility and likelihood of in a near future be possible to extract OTP without downgrade?

- Aside what I wrote, could this full access to the machine provide more general usability than the current state of 9.2 CFWs?

Here is my take on it,I installed it for fun and it works very well,however I cannot in good faith recommend it to inexperienced users. I also cannot definitively say that it is better than menuhax since the console is a brick without an sd card and there are other restrictions in place.

 

[pustal]

Here is my take on it,I installed it for fun and it works very well,however I cannot in good faith recommend it to inexperienced users. I also cannot definitively say that it is better than menuhax since the console is a brick without an sd card and there are other restrictions in place.

You lose access to the SD card?

 

[mgrev]

if you do everything right, your 3ds shouldn't brick. alse when you have installed, you join the #Arm9LoaderHaxMasterRace

 

[danzou22]

I am asking me the same question, if it is worth to do all the a9lh proccess when I have ctrbootmanager and all the stuff. But what worries me more is if people will stop developing cfw and tools for this and only make thing for a9lh, so I will repent for not doing a9lh now...

 

[Ryft]

You lose access to the SD card?

He means the console won't boot without an SD card with arm9loaderhax.

 

[RealityNinja]

Why though? Is the only hypothetical way of dumping it patched permanently? Wouldn't it be possible to trick it through emuNAND?

Nope, because it's erased before, when you boot your console with the sysnand. With 3.0 firmware, the OTP is deleted very early = inaccessible!

 

[funnystory]

You lose access to the SD card?

If the SD card is not inserted the n3ds doesn't work it black screens.

 

[froggestspirit]

I've A9LH'a-tized 5 different consoles, no bricks.

 

[pustal]

He means the console won't boot without an SD card with arm9loaderhax.

If the SD card is not inserted the n3ds doesn't work it black screens.

I see. I mean I don't use the 3DS without an SD card but doesn't sound like a nice tradeoff.

I am asking me the same question, if it is worth to do all the a9lh proccess when I have ctrbootmanager and all the stuff. But what worries me more is if people will stop developing cfw and tools for this and only make thing for a9lh, so I will repent for not doing a9lh now...

Good point. I don't think it'll happen though. I'm maybe being naïve, but don't think that after supporting both, there isn't much code to keep up to date in that regard.

 

[funnystory]

I see. I mean I don't use the 3DS without an SD card but doesn't sound like a nice tradeoff.



Good point. I don't think it'll happen though. I'm maybe being naïve, but don't think that after supporting both, there isn't much code to keep up to date in that regard.

It's more of an OCD thing,it bothers me that your 3ds becomes a brick with an SD card. Besides that though the hack is very nice,just be prepared to spend 6 hours following the guide step by step. There are 5 steps with 50 steps i each step so really it's more like 250 steps and some steps can take 30 minutes. There's at least 5 times in the tutorial where you can brick your console.

 

[Merrx]

- Aside what I wrote, could this full access to the machine provide more general usability than the current state of 9.2 CFWs?

Since a few days, it is possible to use a custom "Loader", which could patch the applications of the 3DS before execution.
This is still under development, so maybe you can look for a thread "3ds injection".


ReiNAND works also with A9LH and the latest version 3.5 also has region free.


Imo everyone should have a SD card, since Nintendo delivers the 3DS with one.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

(I know there is a recent thread about questions about A9LH but it didn't seem to fit in the middle of the conversation, as this is more about the future perspectives of A9LH than current state).

I've been reading about it and seems common consense that the advanages are mainly being early, fast, working every boot and allowing bricking recoveries without hardmod.

On the other hand, as of now, it is restricted to Cakes and AuReiNAND and has a significative bricking chance on the process.

For me I'm trying to figure out if the alledged risk is worth being an early adopter.

I'd like to ask first a few questions:

- Is there a reasonable possibility and likelihood of in a near future be possible to extract OTP without downgrade?

- Aside what I wrote, could this full access to the machine provide more general usability than the current state of 9.2 CFWs?

It should be near impossible to brick while installing a9lh. OTPHelper verifies every title before doing the only real risky part in the entire process, which is flashing emuNAND to sysNAND. And verifies them again after.
There is still a small risk, for example your NAND backup could be corrupted and when you restore it after getting OTP it could brick, but it's unlikely. OTPHelper is designed so that even user error shouldn't cause a brick. The risk is comparable to that of downgrading to 9.2, it might even be less risky because of all the checks it does.

 

[frosty5689]

a9lh is the closest 3DS has ever got to PSP level of CFW. The unbrick functionality is very useful, especially for those that want to develop for the 3DS without having a hardmod.

In regards to bricking, they are all user error.

Some well known ways of bricking:
* Having modified CIAs on EmuNAND before downgrading (excluding H&S)
* Copying incomplete NAND backups to PC because Windows or ejecting early, etc
* Installing a9lh stage2 from a different fork than original (it clearly states you should only update stage2 if you are on the same fork, otherwise do full install)
* Not following unbrick instructions for N3DS.
* Installing a9lh using someone else's OTP compiled installer.
* Not configuring Cakes correctly when folloing the guide (hence why suggested CFW to use is AuReiNAND, at least for the entire installation process)

I do not see any chance of bricking with O3DS (no unbricking 2.1 after upgrade). I have personally done it on a N3DS. If anything, maybe a CFW could be developed to work with 2.1, then we can verify if the 2.1 downgrade unbricked correctly for N3DS consoles before flashing it to SysNAND.

 

[Disco]

I have gone from GW emuNAND to a9lh/AuReiNand sysNAND, and I am way more sattisified with this setup.
Everything went without any errors, my console is N3DS XL EU on 9.0 (Now obviously 10.7)